WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Monday he will make a statement on North Korea and trade issues following his return to Washington from Asia this week.

Speaking to reporters before a trilateral meeting with the Australian and Japanese leaders in Manila, the Philippines, Trump cited "a lot of big progress" on trade during his five-nation Asia trip that ends Tuesday.

"We'll be making a statement when we get back, from the White House, sometime during Wednesday," he said. "And it will be a very complete statement as to trade, as to North Korea, as to a lot of other things."

US President Donald Trump. (EPA-Yonhap)

Trump's first official visit to the region was billed as a push to step up international pressure on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program and reduce US trade deficits with South Korea, Japan and China.

He has hinted that the US may relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The president boasted that "some very big steps" were taken with respect to trade, in addition to about $300 billion in sales to "various companies, including China."

"We have deficits with almost everybody. Those deficits are going to be cut very quickly and very substantially," he said.

Trump kicked off his trip in Hawaii on Nov. 3, before traveling to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. (Yonhap)